Proof: Hitting in Softball Might Be More Difficult Than In Baseball.
Sports science has compared a college softball pitcher’s 70 mph fastball to the average 90 mph major-league fastball.
On average, a baseball is released approximately 60 feet 6 inches from home plate, resulting in a reaction time of roughly four-tenths of a second for the hitter to recognize spin, speed, and location…
…as well as ball or strike.
By comparison, that 70 mph softball is released from an average distance of 37 feet from the plate (after the pitcher’s stride), resulting in 300 milliseconds of reaction time for the batter…
…in other words, a softball batter has 10% less time to react and make a correct decision.
Though pitches in baseball might be of a higher velocity, the shorter distance of the mound from home plate makes it that much more crucial for a softball player to executer superior pitch recognition skills.
P.S. What do you think? Is hitting in softball harder than in baseball? REPLY and let us know!
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